Goggles and gloves helping dietitians get to grips with malnutrition

New resources – “arthritis gloves” and “visual impairment goggles” – are helping dietitians better understand the challenges people with these conditions face when eating and drinking.

We’re dedicated to

Equipping staff with resources that help them understand what they need to do to treat patients in the best, most tailored way possible.

The difference we’re making

Giving staff a better sense of what it may be like to have arthritis or impaired vision

Funding new educational resources: the gloves mimic the effects of arthritis by restricting finger and hand movements, and the goggles help raise staff awareness of visual impairment during training programmes

Seeking to understand debilitating conditions: appreciating how patients can struggle with everyday activities in order to provide support that’s tailored to individual needs.

Did you know?

Arthritis and visual impairment are causes of malnutrition – a big problem in both patients in hospital and the community.

Malnutrition is surprisingly common; it affects an estimated three million people in the UK – nearly half of whom are over 65.

What we're saying

“We know how important it is that staff in the hospitals we support have as much knowledge as possible to give the best treatment to patients – including full understanding of how it might feel to have certain debilitating conditions like arthritis.

These resources are proving to be a great tool for staff, especially in their training programmes.”

– Clair Sim, Grants Adviser at Barts Charity

Funding extraordinary healthcare

Staff have a vital role to play in preventing or treating malnutrition – or “undernutrition”.

Carers in particular may not appreciate how people with arthritis struggle with packaged foods or the difficulties visually impaired individuals might have with menus or meals.

Our funding is providing valuable teaching aids that help staff and carers have the understanding to effectively treat and work with people with these conditions.